And the Survey Says...

Since December, we’ve been collecting your thoughts, stories, and feedback on New Dream’s offerings to help steer our work in the right direction in 2018 and beyond. 

Here's a snapshot of the results so far. And if you haven’t had a chance to weigh in yet, please hop over and take the short survey today—we want to hear from you!

Are We Helping You?

When asked whether you find our resources helpful, over 85% of the nearly 300 survey respondents said you find our materials moderately, very, or extremely helpful (woohoo!). But there’s still room to grow, so for those of you who haven’t found our resources helpful, please drop us a note and let us know what you’re looking for.

Your Favorite Topics

Waste reduction, community building, and simplifying holidays and celebrations (in that order) were the top picks as topics you’d like to see New Dream cover. We have great news: our 2018 Community in Action Challenge centers on community building. And waste reduction and simplifying the holidays are two upcoming themes of the campaign. 

Supporting Your Community

An exciting result of the survey is how many of you are interested in opportunities to bring New Dream’s work into your communities. Hosting a film and discussion, organizing a book club, presenting to local groups or agencies, serving as a liaison between your community and New Dream, and organizing a neighborhood group to work on a New Dream project were the most popular ways you said you’d like to be involved. Our 2018 Community in Action Challenge can get you going right away! And we’ll keep your enthusiasm for doing more, locally, in mind as we plan for the future.

How Best to Reach You

The results of the survey reveal that you like to access New Dream resources in a variety of formats (blogs and guides being your top choices), and that the vast majority of you prefer to receive updates from our monthly e-newsletter (sign up here!). We’ll continue to offer resources in a mix of formats, and our recently revamped In Balance e-newsletter will keep bringing “more fun, less stuff” to your inbox each month.

What Do We Provide You?

What do you look to New Dream to provide? The two top responses, chosen by nearly 80% of respondents, are: “inspiration and positivity for living simply” and “practical tips to try at home.” Fresh inspiration and tools to simplify and improve well-being for yourself, your communities, and the planet are definitely on the menu again this year.

How Can We Improve?

You shared fantastic ideas in response to the question, “How can New Dream improve its offerings?” One theme that recurs is the idea of resources designed for specific populations (college students, singles, seniors, rural communities). Some suggest we provide more short, digestible “nuggets” of information, while others are looking for more research included with our calls to action and the concepts we encourage. More case studies and personal stories to illustrate New Dream’s vision was another suggestion. 

One respondent requested more guidance on undertaking projects that offer lasting change in a community—another reason to be excited about the Community in Action Challenge! And yes, we hear you that requests for donations are not your favorite emails to get from us. As a nonprofit (small and lean!), it’s your contributions that keep this important work alive. But we’re always open to new funding ideas, which you can always share by emailing us at newdream@newdream.org.

Our Impact on YOU

Finally, many of you shared stories of how you’ve applied insights from New Dream to your life, and the impacts they’ve had. Our staff was so inspired to read your stories. For those who chose to include your contact info—thanks, and we may be in touch soon!